Established 2004

Boston, Massachusetts

For every woman.For every family.For more time.

The Julie Fund is a Boston-area nonprofit fighting women's cancers through research, patient support, and education/advocacy.

Donate today

Contributor

to ovarian cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital

$7M

Invested in research

toward a cure for ovarian cancer

20+

Years

fighting these insidious diseases

Cancers covered

ovarian, cervical, vaginal, vulvar, uterine & breast

Our Story

Who was Julie?

Julie Paige McAvinn died of ovarian cancer at the age of 40, just over three months after her diagnosis. She left behind her husband, three kids under the age of 10, and a single, urgent request.

“We must do something to help other people faced with this terrible situation.”
Julie, to her husband Peter

Peter launched The Julie Fund that year. Two decades on, what began as one family's promise has become the single largest philanthropic contributor to ovarian cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital. It funds the scientists, supports the patients, and reaches the women who can benefit from knowing the symptoms.

That's why 80% of every dollar raised is invested in ensuring the women diagnosed after Julie have what she didn't: time.

Continue Julie's mission

What We Do

Three pillars, one promise.

Research

Massachusetts General Hospital

$7M invested in finding a cure for ovarian cancer. Our grants go to the scientists at Mass General, where The Julie Fund is the single largest philanthropic contributor to ovarian cancer research.

Patient Support

Directed by MGH social workers

Support is for non-medical expenses: meals, transportation, childcare, and rent, so the patient can focus on healing. Social workers decide where the money goes, patient by patient.

Meet the families

Education/Advocacy

Six cancers, plain language

Early detection is the best defense. We teach women the risk factors, warning signs, and self-advocacy skills for all six cancers we cover.

Risk factors and warning signs

Meet the families

Behind every dollar,a person.

Mass General social workers report every quarter on who the fund reached and what it paid for.

The fund paid

Her rent

J · 43, stage 3 cervical cancer

She works as a day laborer. If she does not work, she does not get paid, and treatment made her miss a lot of it.

The fund paid

Her mortgage

L · 38, breast cancer

A single mother and the sole support for her teenage daughter. Her treatment plan forced her down to part-time work.

The fund paid

Rent while she recovered

D · 43, ovarian cancer

She travels in from out of state for her care, and the cost of the commute wore on her family.

The fund paid

Rent while she was out of work

S · 33, breast cancer

Repeated delays, complications, and admissions meant she missed a lot of work, with limited support around her.

Education and Advocacy

The best defense against cancer is early detection.

We publish the risk factors, warning signs, and screening tests for the six cancers we cover, in plain language, so women know what to watch for and when to ask their doctor.

Read the awareness sheet

Is there a screening test?

Breast

Mammogram from age 40

Ovarian

No screening test

Cervical

Pap and HPV test

Uterine

No screening test

Vaginal

No screening test